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Monolaurin: Miracle for the Immune System?
Written by Wellness Club on November 29, 2011 – 4:00 pm -Could This Be The Newest Breakthrough For Improving Immunity?
By Nurse Mark
Hardly a day goes by without breathless news reports telling us in glowing terms about the latest breakthrough in the fight against disease or against ageing. We know; we get them all – in our email, in magazines, in newsletters.
One major glossy “natural health” magazine is a perfect example – each month it presents us with a plethora of articles, all describing the newest medical and scientific breakthroughs. Interestingly, each of these articles is invariably followed by multi-page advertisements for whatever “breakthrough” supplement the preceding article discussed…
We can understand the interest that these articles generate – they certainly sound marvelously scientific and well-researched, and the reader can hardly help but to want to try the new miracle product.
Fortunately, many of our readers get a “sober second opinion” before investing their hard-earned money in the “Break-Through du Jour” – they ask Doctor Myatt.
David recently wrote to ask about a substance being touted to improve immunity:
Subject: monolaurin
Message: Wondering if you have any thoughts on the supplement monolaurin especially Lauricidin (brand) vis immune function?
Thank you
Dr. Myatt offered this information to David:
Hi David:
Monolaurin (lauric acid) is a fatty acid found in coconut and human milk.
It has antimicrobial properties in vitro (test tube). It is currently used as a food preservative.
I can find no credible or significant human studies to show that it works in vivo (in people) the same way it works in a test tube or outside the body. I also find no proof that it has any positive effect on the immune system.
There are many substances that are far more well-researched to improve immunity. There are also many substances better proven for their anti-microbial effects.
Therefor, I do not yet use this substance in clinical practice and reserve judgement until I see some good studies which confirm its efficacy.
Hope this helps!
In Health,
Dr. Myatt
So, there we have it: Another “breakthrough” waiting to be actually proven to be as wonderful as the advertising copy that has been written to sell it.
That is not to say that lauric acid is without merit – it is found also in Coconut Oil which has many proven health benefits, including immune system activation from the medium chain triglycerides (MTC’s) found in it.
Dr. Myatt does not believe that the “magic” is all about the concentrated lauric acid that is being marketed as a supplement though – like many herbs and supplements, the “magic” is in the synergy of the many other additional components found in coconut oil.
Isolating and concentrating the lauric acid appears (for now) to be little more than an attempt to take a page from the Big Pharma Playbook – creating something new, not really found in nature, and,most importantly, not available anywhere else. Also from the Big Pharma Playbook is the marketing which suggests it to be a “one-pill solution” for any number of health concerns – including immunity.
Dr. Myatt does believe that Coconut Oil is an important addition to the diet, and she has done the research to back up that belief. She uses it herself for cooking and in recipes and offers it to her patients and customers – you can learn more about Coconut Oil here.
Anyone interested in immune system support and immune enhancement would do well to check into Dr. Myatt’s Immune Support - a daily immune-supporting supplement with scientifically researched and proven ingredients.
Did you know that Dr. Myatt makes a bold – some say crazy – guarantee to those who use her Immune Support and Maxi Multi Daily Optimal Dose Multiple Vitamins? She actually guarantees (money-back!) that folks faithfully taking both those supplements won’t get the flu!
Learn more about Dr. Myatt’s Crazy “No Flu For You” Guarantee here.
Learn more about Maxi Multi Daily Optimal Dose Multiple Vitamins here.
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